o brien



` zen of the United States, residing at New York UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE.

THOMAS oBRIN, oir-Naw YORK, N. Y.

a PRoPeLLER.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 502,910, dated August8, 1893.

Application tied August 23, 1892. serai No. 443.855. (No mode.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS OBRIEN, a citi city, in the county of NewYorkand State of New York, have invented certain new andusefulIrnprovements in Propellers; and I do declare the followingto be afull,"clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it ap'- pertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has relation to improvements in boats, and it has for itsgeneral object to provide a boat with a series of movable seats, andutilize the motion of said seats to drive a screw and propel the boat.

Other objects and advantages will be fully understood from the followingdescription and claims when taken in connection with the annexeddrawings, in which- Figure l, is a vertical, longitudinal section takeninthe plane indicated bythe line of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is ahorizontalsection taken in the plane indicated by the line sc, ofFig. l, lookingdownwardly.

In the said drawings, similar letters designate corresponding parts inboth views, referring to which A, indicates the boat whichfis providedwith a long overhanging stern A', to afford space for the propeller, andwith a deep keel B, adapted to render the boat more steady and therebyreduce lateral movement, and consequent frictional wear of the swingingseats presently to be described.

Journaled in suitable bearings inthe sternV counter B4, and the plateB5, extending rearwardly from the heel of the keel is the rudder postF', to which the rudder F, is connected in any suitable manner. Thisrudder post F', is provided at asuitable pointin its length, preferablyas shown, with a loose sleeve G', which has a forwardly extending branchG3, in which is journaled the rear end of the propeller shaft G.

Fixedly mounted upon the forward end of the shaft G, which extendsvthrough the stern of the boat and is journaled in the bearings G4, H5,is a pinion H, which meshes with a gear wheel H', xed on a shaft H4, asshown. This shaft H4, also carries a beveled gear wheel H2, which mesheswith a large beveled gear wheel H3, fixed on the transversely disp'oseddrive shaft H8. Also fixed upon the 2drive shaft HS, is a crank wheel V,(illustrated in Fig. 2;) and to this crankwheel V, and the gear wheelH3, is connected the machinery for rotating the propeller G2, whichmachinery will be presently described,

The propeller G2 that I prefer to employ in conjunction with myimprovements, comprises a series of screws G7, which are suitably fixedupon the shaft G, and increase in size gradually as they recede from thestern of the boat so that the small forward screw will reduce theresistance to the second screw and so on, whereby it will'be seen thatless power will lbe required to rotate the propeller which vis a highlyimportant desideraturn. The lblades of the screws G7, are pitched at anapproximate acnte angle with respect to the shaft, as illustrated, andtheir ends are beveled inwardly and'forwardly as shown by reason nofwhich they will take into the water as a wedge and the resistance to thepropeller will thereby be further reduced.

Suitably secured to the sides of the boat by straps C2, or the like, andrising therefrom, are a 'series of stanchions C, upon which is mounted aroof C', which is provided with suitable friction pulleys C4, for thepassage of the rudder chain C3. This rudder chain C3, which is connectedto the tiller F2, in the ordinary manner, takes around pulleys C7, andover the pulleys C4, and is wound upon the rotary drum O, as shown. Thisdrum O,which is journaled in suitable bearings P, isprovided witha handWheel E, whereby it may be readily rotated to change the course of theboat when desired.

Extending transversely of the roof C', and preferably connecting theupper ends of Vthe stanchions C, as shown, are cross beams C?, to whicharepivotally connected the swinging hangers D, o f the seats D'. Eachpair of swinging hangers D, are connected, at about the pointillustrated, by the cross bars D6, upon which the seats D', for thepassengers are mounted, and the hangers on each side of the boat areconnected by rods L, attached to the hangers by clips as L', so that themovements of the seats and hangers will be simultaneous. v

Taking around suitable pulleys D5, arranged adjacent to the sides andends of the IOO boat and at the bottom thereof, are endless fulcrum orpurchase chains to which the foot pieces D3, are connected, as betterillustrated in Fig. 2, of the drawings. These foot pieces D3, of whichfour are preferably employed to each seat capable of seating fourpassengers, are respectively provided with an upwardly extending leverS, having a transverse hand piece D2, at its upper end for the grasp ofthe passengers. Each of the levers S, is connected to its respectiveseat by a link S', which is pivotally connected in a suitable manner toboth the lever and seat so as to allow the levers and seats to swing inthe manner presently set forth.

Flexibly connected by clips as L', or otherwise, to the rear hangers D,are pitmen K, which are pivotally connected at their opposite ends tocrank pins K', on the wheels H3, V, respectively, so that when the seatsare swung, the wheels will be rotated and the propeller will be set inmotion.

In operation, the passengers upon the seats D', cause the same to swingin the well known. manner; and this swinging motion is converted intorotary motion through the medium of the mechanism set forth, to rotatethe propeller and propel the boat. Thus it will be readily perceivedthat the boat may be propelled with but little exertion, and theoccupants may enjoy the additional pleasure of swinging.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the seats D', swingin the direction of the length of the boat. 'Ihis is advantageous forthe reason that the seats may have a long movement, and consequently alarge crank Wheel H3, may be employed and a great leverage exercised,which is an important desideratum.

Although I have in some respects, specifically described theconstruction and relative arrangement of the several elements of myimproved boat, I do not desire to be confined to such specificconstruction and arrangement, as such changes or modifications may bemade as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is y l. In a boat, thecombination with a rotary propeller, of a pendent seat u,hung from asuitable support and having a swinging movement in the direction of thelength of the boat, and mechanism intermediate of the seat and thepropeller, such mechanism being adapted to convert the swinging motionof the seat into rotary motion of the propeller shaft, substantially asspecied.

2. In a boat, substantially as described, the combination with a rotarypropeller; of a series of swinging seats; means for connecting the seatsso that they will move together,an endless fulcrum or purchase chain;the levers connected to the chain and with the seats, and mechanismintermediate of the seats and the propeller, adapted to convert theoscillatory motion of the seats into rotary motion of the propellershaft, substantially as and the purpose set forth.

3. In a boat, substantially as described,the combination with a rotarypropeller; of the seats, the hangers suspending the seats, the rodsconnecting the hangers of the seats, the endless fulcrum or purchasechains, the footl rests connected to said chains, the levers connectedto the foot rests, the links connecting said levers to the seats, andmechanism intermediate the seats and the propelleradapted to convert theoscillatory motion of the former into rotary motion of the lattersubstantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I atix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS OBRIEN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. F. L. JUDESBERG, EUGENE SWEENEY.

